The Best Drill Ever for U7/U8

[superdave]

...he modestly writes. :D

A few years ago, I was coaching my son's team. We did a drill called "popcorn." We got into a tight circle, and used 1 ball for every 2 players. Before we started, we chanted "no toes no toes no toes." Then we started popping the ball around the circle. I kept my eyes out for toes and kids who started instinctively turning their foot out to use the instep, correcting the former and praising the latter. It worked very well. It also seems to help teach kids to be gentle on that first touch.

Anyway, now I'm coaching my daughter's team. As happens with kids this age, they have the hardest time not going right after the ball every second of the game. So I thought of something. First, we play regular popcorn. Then, I take two girls out of the circle, and have them each about 6-8 yards away, on opposite sides. (Oh yeah, I also moved the goals closer than the field, from 40 yards to 32 or 24 yards apart.) When a ball pops out of the circle, we stop playing popcorn, and the two girls on the outside go for the ball and try to score on each other.

It teaches them that, yes, the ball will come out of the pile. It teaches them to wait for it. It teaches them to then go after the ball aggressively. And it teaches them how to play 1v1.

Yesterday, we did our normal stuff for about half the practice, then spent 20 minutes or so scrimmaging. I could NOT believe the spacing. It looked like real soccer (kinda sorta) for girls only having their 3rd practice! Much better than the other team I coached. (And it's more than just the difference than boys and girls and listening at that age.) We did popcorn plus at our last practice, and were much better than the other team last Saturday on spacing.

You're welcome. ;)

[equus]

What do you consider a "tight circle" with say, eight players? So there would be four balls inside the circle with eight players?

We're doing a passing practice this week, so I may throw this in there and work the girls who missed the last practice (1v1, defending) on the outside.

[superdave]

Very little space between people. These are first graders, and the diameter of the circle is about a yard. Maybe 4-5 feet. The idea is for the balls to pop around the circle like an old popcorn popper.

Once they get in the groove, the ball won't be popping out much. So after maybe 15 seconds, I say, OK, enough of this, and intentionally let/kick a ball out so the 2 "outside" girls can go at it. :D

[Twenty26Six]

...he modestly writes. :D

...

You're welcome. ;)

I think it's a great concept, but I'd have to see it to understand it better. I like the idea of the "popcorn" fun game.

One thing: U7s and U8s shouldn't look like real soccer.

[dncm]

...he modestly writes. :D

used 1 ball for every 2 players.

So there would be four balls inside the circle with eight players?


Can you confirm the question - so for 8 players there would be 4 balls, or 6 players there would be 3 balls, 10 players = 5 balls?

[superdave]

Yeah. At least, that's how I do it. The idea is for them to constantly be kicking the ball and constantly have to turn their foot to avoid using their toe. I'm in the circle, and there is 8 on the team; in that case I use 4 balls. And with that many balls, it doesn't take too long for one of the balls to escape the circle so the two "outside" players can go at it.

By "real soccer," I mean that you couldn't put a hula hoop and encircle every player. Or even half the players.

Let me try to make a picture of Popcorn Plus.

[=goals
x=the popcorn popper
p=the other two players





[ x x x ]
p x x p
[ x x x ]



At CASL, the U7/U8 game uses two (approx) lacrosse-sized goals 6 yards apart on each end of the field.

http://www.caslnc.com/files/home/4v4_fall09.pdf

[dncm]

Yeah. At least, that's how I do it.

Nice game - repped.

Question: Are the outside players trying to score on the oppossite end goal and I assume they are required to go around the circle to get to the other goal. Does the defending player also have to go around the circle to engage (or can they cut through)? Might make for a good decision point on the defending players part.

I can see a possible variation: having all players in 2 color pinnies and adding adding zones, and maybe once the outside player reaches the "middle" third, a player from their same color can break off the circle and join in for a numbers up.

Or even have it be 2v2 on the outside with players starting off in 4 corners - how do they come together or can a player recognize that they should not wait for their partner cuz they have 1v1 to one of the goals.

Thanks!

[superdave]

Question: Are the outside players trying to score on the oppossite end goal and I assume they are required to go around the circle to get to the other goal. Does the defending player also have to go around the circle to engage (or can they cut through)?
yes

Or even have it be 2v2 on the outside with players starting off in 4 corners - how do they come together or can a player recognize that they should not wait for their partner cuz they have 1v1 to one of the goals.
oooh, good one.

[Twenty26Six]

This is a variation of a regular activity where you play....

* A possession game in a confined "middle third" of a field.
* No players may leave until a set number of passes is achieved and then the ball is served over an endline toward a goal.
* A player from the same team as the server, but not the server, can leave and go in on goal (1v1 with keeper).

You progress to...
* 1 defender can chase the attacker.
* A second attacker joins the first attacker and defender.
* A "forward" and "back" start outside the box to complinent the play.


All in all, the "popcorn+poachers" game is a nice adaptation for this age group.

[IvanIV]

I'll try this at my Friday practice.

[superdave]

We're doing a passing practice this week, so I may throw this in there and work the girls who missed the last practice (1v1, defending) on the outside.

I'll try this at my Friday practice.

Let me know how it goes, or if, once you've done it, you think, hey, it should be like this and not like that.

[ranova]

This is a variation of a regular activity where you play....
* A possession game in a confined "middle third" of a field.
* No players may leave until a set number of passes is achieved and then the ball is served over an endline toward a goal.
* A player from the same team as the server, but not the server, can leave and go in on goal (1v1 with keeper).
You progress to...
* 1 defender can chase the attacker.
* A second attacker joins the first attacker and defender.
* A "forward" and "back" start outside the box to complinent the play.
All in all, the "popcorn+poachers" game is a nice adaptation for this age group.
Putting aside my dislike of the op's training objectives for the drill (which in my view is teaching team tactics to U-Littles) I like Twenty26Six's version of the drill much better. I probably would do it a little differently in having the three zones going: 1v1 with a small goal, 3v3 without goal, 1v1 with a small goal. In my version the participants in the middle third possession game stay in thier zone. Its the balls that change zones, not the players, except for specified rotations. The objective is obviously to mimic a game and force a penetrating pass to a forward. I would use Twenty26Six's ideas for restrictions and variations, except I would not use keepers. It loads the defense too much in the 1v1 for my taste. (Its not a concern for him because he lets the 3v3 players change zones with the ball). I want a lot of successful attacks. I also want the defender in 1v1 to practice defending without cover. This is not a drill that I would start novices on, but one that I would work towards after about three weeks of 1v1 and 3v3 games. Twenty26Six's version is something I could build up to after this one. In my view its a scrimmage with restrictions requiring some midfield possession before entering the attacking third (a very valid and useful coaching approach).

[superdave]

Putting aside my dislike of the op's training objectives for the drill (which in my view is teaching team tactics to U-Littles)
:confused:

Maybe I need to explain it better. The drill has two elements. The first is teaching first graders to avoid using their toes and to have a gentle touch on the ball, even when excited.

The second is to teach them to wait outside the typical U7 cluster******** for the ball, instead of adding to it, and then what to do with the ball when it pops out. At that point it's a 1v1 drill.

[Monkey Boy]

:confused:

Maybe I need to explain it better. The drill has two elements. The first is teaching first graders to avoid using their toes and to have a gentle touch on the ball, even when excited.

The second is to teach them to wait outside the typical U7 cluster******** for the ball, instead of adding to it, and then what to do with the ball when it pops out. At that point it's a 1v1 drill.

I think it's great that you're looking for ways to improve your players skills, such as first touch and passing - as skills.

That being said, IMHO there is way too much time wasted with U-littles on trying to break the bee hive. Too kids become tenative with attacking and defending, plus they many times don't have fun. The other negative is that it takes time away from the key elements that must be taught at this age - basic skills, not spacing or formation.

As an alternative to breaking the hive, I've taught my players to look up while dribbling and see the open space. Then dribble to that open space and around the hive.

Sometimes that has them dribbling backwards - at times losing the ball and giving up a goal. That should be expected though and most especially accepted. Giving up the goal is negative enough, so don't get down on the kids and let the parents know it's part of learning. Use this coaching opportunity to point out how to shield and move around defenders.

By teaching the necessary skills to dribble out of trouble and attack the open space, kids gain confidence on the ball. The hive may or may not be broken, but that doesn't matter. Think of it as a tool to teach the kids how to handle the ball in tight situations.

In essence, I never liked the idea of taking a group of energetic 5-8 year olds and telling them to move away from the one thing they all came there to do - kick the ball. Kicking the ball is fun! Encourage them to go after it and teach them what to do with it when they get it!

[Monkey Boy]

:confused:

Maybe I need to explain it better. The drill has two elements. The first is teaching first graders to avoid using their toes and to have a gentle touch on the ball, even when excited.


One other thought when it comes to toe kickers. I take at least one practice where at least half of it is played without shoes - letting the parents know so that the kids put on old socks. We do a ton of individual dribbling/shooting drills in that practice - alternating which foot to shoot with.

It immediately punishes the kids for kicking the ball with their toes, because it hurts. After that, I rarely have to remind them the proper technique.

[Twenty26Six]

One other thought when it comes to toe kickers. I take at least one practice where at least half of it is played without shoes - letting the parents know so that the kids put on old socks. We do a ton of individual dribbling/shooting drills in that practice - alternating which foot to shoot with.

It immediately punishes the kids for kicking the ball with their toes, because it hurts. After that, I rarely have to remind them the proper technique.

Bonus points for this one. It definitely helps.


RE: Bee Hive
Too much time is wasted on trying to break the natural instincts of the kids. I wish that clubs would just realize that REDUCING THE NUMBERS OF KIDS IN THE GAME would reduce the swarming.

It's really obvious to me that if you just played 2v2 or 3v3 that: there would be no cluster, there would be no standing around waiting for the ball, there would be 10x more touches, there would be 10x more fun.

But, as with everything else, we need to cater to the parents' need to see "real soccer" - which is a joke.

[Twenty26Six]

As an alternative to breaking the hive, I've taught my players to look up while dribbling and see the open space. Then dribble to that open space and around the hive.

Yea, I love that idea. Great point.

* Games with multiple goals work are great for this.

* Game where the kids fetch a ball and dribble it back to coach (who moves around the field) are good for this.

U6s - 1v1
U8s - 2v2 (learning to work with a partner)

[cleansheetbsc]

...he modestly writes. :D


You're welcome. ;)

Well, you ARE Superdave.

[equus]

We did the popcorn game at practice Thursday and it went pretty well. The girls (U8) seemed to like the concept, and the 1v1s were pretty lively.

I don't know if there was a direct result of better spacing in the scrimmage that followed, because for whatever reason, my new sixes this season seem to have that innate concept of space that my sevens -- the sixes from last year -- didn't really grasp until the spring season.

It did work well for the limited training area we had Thursday so that was a plus.

[rca2]

:confused:

Maybe I need to explain it better. The drill has two elements. The first is teaching first graders to avoid using their toes and to have a gentle touch on the ball, even when excited....

And why would any coach teach players not to touch the ball with their toes? That is silly. Teaching how to kick with the instep or side of the foot doesn't mean telling kids to never use the toe of the boot. The toe of the boot is commonly used for tackling, dribbling and shooting. I also use it often for short passes on 50/50 balls so I don't have to break stride. Coaches should teach positives, not negatives or absolutes. Or else you put artificial limits on players, which stifles creativity and decisionmaking. Coaches who don't play especially should stay away from teaching absolutes.